As the largest wind farm in Oregon, Shepherds Flat delivers capacity almost the same as the state’s second and third largest wind farms.
Installed in three phases, the wind farm’s total installed capacity of 845 MW is one of the largest in the US. The wind farm delivers its electricity to California, helping the state meet its Renewal Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements.
The wind farm’s output is the same as having replaced 260,000 cars on the road, helping California and Oregon decrease carbon emissions since 2012.
Who owns Shepherds Flat Wind Farm?
Caithness Energy LLC owns the wind farm. The Department of Energy provided Caithness Energy a $1.3 billion partial loan to develop the project under a financing plan by the Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP).
Other than the DOE loan and FIPP package, financing also was provided by a group of investors who pooled their resources to help build the farm.
GE Energy financial services, Google, and Sumitomo Corporation, contributed to a $500 million package, serving as an additional stimulus to the project.
GE also provided operation and maintenance services under a service contract for ten years.
Where is Shepherds Flat Wind farm?
The wind farm is located in Oregon’s eastern part, called the Hurlburt flats. Shepherds Flat is 8 kilometers Southeast of Arlington across two counties–Gilliam and Morrow.
The whole wind farm sits on private property between Oregon Route 19 and Oregon Route 74. The location is also south of the Columbia river gorge.
What is the economic impact of Shepherds Flat Wind Farm?
According to financial analysis, the farm’s estimated positive economic impact is $5 million a year in taxes and fees.
The wind farm also brought to the USA a new technology at the time, called permanent magnet generators. These generators help the turbines retrieve energy from low wind speeds and prevent electricity losses. These innovations help the wind farm provide higher economic benefits for the state.
What are the phases of the wind farm?
The Shepherds wind farm was completed in three phases. It was in September 2009 that the Energy Facility Siting Council of Oregon divided the Shepherds Flat Wind farm into three original site certificates, thus creating a multi-phase project.
The following are the three phases of the wind farm:
- The first phase – Shepherds Flat North (265 MW and 106 turbines). The first phase is located directly below the Columbia river.
- The second phase – Shepherds Flat South (290 MW and 116 turbines). The second phase is east of Montague Wind facility–a 204 MW wind farm.
- Third phase – Shepherds Flat Central (290 MW and 116 turbines). The third phase is below Shepherds Flat north and above Shepherds Flat South. The third phase has a portion east of the Montague Wind facility and above Montague Wind. It is the last phase of going online.
| Phase | Turbines | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 106 | 265 MW |
| 2 | 116 | 290 MW |
| 3 | 116 | 290 MW |
How large is Shepherds Flat Wind Farm?
The Shepherds Flat Wind farm is one of the ten largest onshore wind farms in the US.
The wind farm is 36,961 acres large or 14,957 hectares.
How many wind turbines are in Shepherds Flat Wind Farm?
The wind farm runs on 338 wind turbines installed in its project and property. Caithness Energy used GE 2.5XL-2.5 MW in the project.
How much power does Shepherds Flat wind farm deliver?
The wind farm produces about 1.8 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year. The farm’s wind turbines have a total of 845 MW capacity.
The wind farm supplies electricity and delivers the wind power to Southern California Edison.
When was Shepherds Flat Wind Farm commissioned?
In 2010, the wind farm’s construction began, and two years later, the wind farm was commissioned in 2012. The wind farm achieved entire commercial operations in the same year, but only for Shepherds Flat North and Shepherds Flat South.
In 2013, the Shepherds Flat Central was completed adding 290 MW to the overall capacity of the farm.